Without the Pillars
by thesadisttensaifuji
Summary: In which a coach takes an interest in Fuji's potential. Without Tezuka and Echizen, can the genius lead the team to the Nationals? Set three years after the original timeline.
1. Chapter 1: Brothers

**A/N:** It took me two years to finally write this plot bunny down. Wow. Has it been that long already? Thank you very much to Frog-Kun and fyerigurl for bearing with all my rants about this fic. You guys are the best! I still can't believe I'm finally posting this.

The first two chapters will be set two years after the original timeline, a necessary prelude before I delve into the actual story, which will be set, as promised, three years after Seigaku won the Nationals. Third years will be third years again, and lots of high school tennis is coming up.

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Brothers**

Fuji Yuuta walked towards one of the vending machines in the Kantou tournament grounds. For the first time in years, St. Rudolph qualified for the said competition after acing the consolation matches in the Tokyo prefecturals. The team then joined the champion Hyoutei, runner-up Seigaku, and semi-finalists Fudomine and Yamabuki in advancing to the regionals.

Currently, they were facing Rokkaku in the second round. They were down by two games, as they lost the doubles matches. One more loss and they'll be out of the tournament, but Yuuta pushed this possibility at the back of his mind.

"Eto... green tea for Mizuki-san, coffee for Akazawa-fukubuchou, cola for everyone else," he said while pressing the corresponding buttons for the drinks and inserting coins to the machine. The resounding clank of metal followed one after another, indicating every completed purchase.

As the only freshman regular, Yuuta was often sent to buy snacks and drinks for his senpai-tachi. He sighed as he bent to collect the cans, thinking that a couple of months ago, he was the captain of the middle school tennis team. _He_ was the one ordering people around.

_Well, I guess it can't be helped. People grow up and go back to square one._

He was about to pick the last can when a particularly loud conversation reached his ears.

"... do you think will play in the finals? I think it's Rikkai and Hyoutei, actually."

"I think so too. Rikkai is as invincible as ever, and Hyoutei has their doubles intact in addition to the nationally-ranked Atobe Keigo."

"Yeah. None of the other teams can measure up to them now. Seigaku ceased to be a threat since Tezuka Kunimitsu and Echizen Ryoma went pro two years ago."

"Well, they still have _tensai_ Fuji Syuusuke and the Golden Pair, so they still have a chance to reach the semifinals."

At that point, Yuuta turned around. He saw two players of an unseeded school passing by.

_Aniki..._

* * *

Two figures stood on either side of the court: one with long hair beneath a white cap, the other with a red head band to keep his bangs out of his face. Both were panting heavily, but when the umpire announced the score – four games all – their grips on their rackets tightened as they positioned themselves for another rally.

Except that it was more of a dance – a dance in the wind – with all their fluid footwork and graceful swings. Neither was leading; they were just following the beat of their rackets hitting the ball, and the ball bouncing on the court.

And just then, the tempo suddenly increased – the long-haired one, Kisarazu Ryou, charged towards the net and fired a precise forehand to the corner. Yuuta got back just in time to see the shot speeding past his teammate, Ryou's twin brother Atsushi, who was too shocked to even move an inch.

It was a match to see, Yuuta thought as he gave out the drinks. An official match between two brothers playing for different teams. Two brothers who, for the longest time, were training alongside each other, knowing every trick in the other's sleeve.

He wanted to have that kind of match too, with his brother.

Yuuta leaned on the metal railing as he opened his can of soda with a fizz, turning his attention back to the game. Atsushi served, and a baseline rally ensued. At first it was a stalemate – they were both waiting for the other to slip up – but slowly it became apparent that the St. Rudolph regular was being shaken left and right.

"Ryou moves a step forward every shot," Mizuki said, and he supplied the explanation immediately when he saw Yanagisawa's mouth opening, probably to say something stupid again, "which means, he's putting more pressure as he nears the net."

Nobody had noticed earlier, because they were all focused on the ball. But now it was obvious – the Rokkaku second year was just a few strides away from the service box.

Atsushi chased the ball in the left corner, managing to clip it with his racket for a shallow lob. Ryou took the chance – he leaped into the air and pounded the ball to the other side. The next two points he took with ease as well; the fierce rally earlier had taken its toll to the short-haired boy's stamina.

It was a decisive break.

Atsushi had his hands on his knees as he caught his breath, the beads of sweat in his forehead dripping to the court. On the other side of the net, Ryou bent down to fetch his hat which had fallen from the ground during his smash.

In the sidelines, Yuuta gripped his now half-empty can tighter, eliciting a soft cracking sound as he watched his senpai wipe the sweat on his temples with the sleeves of his white and brown tennis uniform. For a while, he had seen himself in him – Atsushi was on the brink of losing against his brother, just like Yuuta had been countless of times before.

He'd forgotten what it was like, to face defeat against his aniki. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to remember, but as he saw Atsushi heading to the bench to get a much-needed swig of water, lips set in a firm line but in his eyes a hint of a smile, a vague memory of a scowling but fired up boy came back to him.

He finished his soda.

The game continued after the players changed sides. Two aces flew past the now fatigued Atsushi, and the third serve he sent straight to the net.

It was matchpoint.

Ryou served again, and Atsushi grunted as he returned the ball with much force as he could. As soon as the ball left his racket, he bolted towards the net, volleying Ryou's shots. The Rokkaku regular lobbed the ball to break the pace, but Atsushi threw himself up to smash the ball, only to rotate his body midair to hit a backhanded drop shot.

Ryou extended his racket and dived for the ball, catching it just after the first bounce, and sent it over to the side, landing right inside the line.

"Game. Set. Match. Kisarazu Ryou!"

A hand was extended to him. He looked up to see his brother, hair a bit tussled, red head band loosened, lips curved slightly upwards. Ryou took the offered hand, and allowed Atsushi to pull him up to a stand.

"You almost got me there," Ryou said as he adjusted his hand for a proper handshake.

"I'll get you next time."

* * *

After everyone else went off their own – some stayed in the tournament grounds and watched the remaining matches of the day, some already left to catch the train home – Yuuta found himself in one of the warm up courts hitting against the wall. He wasn't able to play earlier, as he was placed in Singles Two, so he had wanted to work on a sweat for a bit before heading back.

Except that he had been hitting the ball more ruthlessly than necessary for practice swings – the truth is, he just wanted to be occupied with something to keep him from thinking about the match earlier, among many other things.

"Looks like the match has gotten to you, hasn't it?" a familiar voice suddenly said behind him.

Yuuta caught the ball with his right hand and turned around. "Saeki-san," he said, acknowledging the presence of his brother's childhood friend. He walked to the bench where he put his tennis bag, placed his racket and ball inside, and sat down.

"Mind if I join you?" Saeki asked, and the younger boy made room for him.

"Congratulations for advancing to the quarter finals," Yuuta said as he wiped his forehead with a towel.

"Ah, thank you," Saeki said tentatively, quite taken aback by the greeting. Of course, Yuuta was just being polite, but he did not come here for pleasantries. The topic though, was too sensitive for him to broach on, so he kept silent for a while, knowing that the St. Rudolph freshman had many things going through his mind right now.

When Yuuta showed no indication of opening up to him, Saeki finally decided to speak.

"You can always challenge him to a match, you know," he said with a reassuring smile, searching Yuuta's eyes.

The younger boy opened his mouth as to say something, but closed it again. He would listen to what Saeki had to say for now.

Saeki took this as his cue.

"But you want an official match, I know. You want to prove something, right? That you are Fuji Yuuta, the Southpaw Killer, not Fuji Yuuta, Fuji the genius's little brother," he paused, asking for confirmation.

Yuuta nodded.

"Well, don't you think you've already proven yourself? All those matches you won, all those players whom you gave a hard time. To them, and to the people who watched you grow, you are already your own person," he paused again, allowing Yuuta to think about his words.

"Maybe you are taking things the wrong way, Yuuta. Maybe... the truth is that you are just missing your brother. All those times you played tennis together."

Yuuta's eyes widened.

"Oi, Saeki!" Bane called out. Saeki turned to him. "We're going. The bus is here."

"Coming!" Saeki stood up. He turned back to Yuuta. "Well, at least that's what I think. I could be wrong, but it's up to you to decide that. Just be honest with yourself, Yuuta."

And with that, Saeki parted with him. Yuuta watched his back as he walked away, but before he left out of his sight, he stood up and called him.

"Saeki-san!" The Rokkaku junior turned around. "T-thank you," Yuuta stammered.

Saeki gave him a thumbs-up before continuing his way.

He might have said he could be wrong, but Yuuta knew there's no other person besides Yumiko who knew him and his brother well enough except for one Saeki Kojirou.

* * *

That night, Yuuta had a dream of many years ago.

He was sleeping on his brother's back, a fresh gash swollen red on the side of his forehead.

Earlier, Fuji had been practicing hitting twist kites in the street tennis courts when Yuuta joined him and eventually asked for a match. The younger boy prodded his aniki to use this new move, just so he could see it in an actual match. It was dangerous, but Fuji always had a soft spot for his brother, and soon gave in to the request, warning Yuuta to be ready to dodge the ball.

The boy only nodded excitedly, rolling the racket in his palm as he swayed left and right in anticipation to the serve. He returned it easily, and focused on his brother's form to see if the shot was coming or not.

_Is he gonna use it yet?_

But Fuji simply returned the ball and rallied for a few more shots. Yuuta was starting to grow impatient and hit the ball hard, and the next thing he knew, the ball was coming straight for his face. He could only shut his eyes, and soon he was knocked out.

Fuji had carried him all the way from the street tennis courts to their home. He'd heard a feminine voice fretting over at the sight of him unconscious – that was Yumiko-nee-san – before he felt himself being plopped down into the sofa.

When Yuuta opened his eyes, his brother was looking down on him with a smile that seemed relieved and apologetic; he couldn't tell exactly which one. Yumiko whisked his aniki away before he could even discern his smile. It was then that he noticed she had a pack of cotton balls, along with a bottle of alcohol, and–

Yuuta jerked awake at that point.

He touched the scar on his forehead instinctively. He hadn't remembered the events that led to that scar in a while.

It was the start of a little soul-searching.

* * *

A/N: Djokovic and Sharapova both lost in the Olympics. Eff my life.

So, review? Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2: Aniki

**A/N:** I'm back with the second chapter! I was supposed to finish this during my semestral break, but life was cruel. Well, better late than never. This is the second and last part of the prologue, so the story will formally begin next chapter! It will come out, hopefully, by Christmas break.

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Aniki**

Yuuta glanced at the ticking clock beside his bed. It was almost half past six; any moment now, the alarm he set would activate itself and wake him up supposedly from sleep. But he had already been up for the past hour or so and was unable to go back to the peace of slumber, the gears in his mind forcing him into wakefulness.

"_Maybe you're just missing your brother. All the times you played tennis together."_

Saeki. His words had hit home, and hard. There was no way Yuuta could avoid sorting out his feelings – long overdue because of hesitation, fear, and doubt – after hearing the older boy out. He wanted to simply shrug it off and tell himself he wasn't ready to face the possibility that Saeki might just be right, he might have been fooling himself all along into thinking that he hated his brother, but he couldn't, just couldn't, because deep in his heart, he knew he never really hated his Aniki.

The alarm finally sounded and interrupted his musings. He reached to turn it off, and with great reluctance, he forced himself out of bed and started his morning routine.

Today was the schedule of the quarter finals. He'd deal with his feelings later, when he could see his brother playing on the courts.

* * *

Fuji Syuusuke, Seigaku's resident genius, was losing.

He was playing against Hyoutei's Kabaji Munehiro in singles three, his usual position ever since he debuted in the high school tennis circuit one year ago. The captain and the vice-captain, seniors alike, held the singles one and two spots, and they were not about to cede their positions to a kouhai no matter how much better he was. It suited Fuji just fine, but more than once the team had suffered losses because of the predictability of their line-up.

For an opponent, knowing which position the genius (and the Golden Pair, to boot) would play was already a huge advantage. They could either avoid him and focus their firepower on the other matches for a better chance of winning, or face him head-on with a prepared strategy.

In this match's case, it was the latter. Hyoutei placed the copycat Kabaji against Fuji to bring him down, a tactic they used against Tezuka during the National Tournament two years ago.

_And it's working alright_, Yuuta narrowed his eyes as he took a sip of the soda he had bought from a nearby vending machine. He had arrived just as Oishi and Eiji finished up their match against Shishido and Ootori, winning 6-2. (Their synchro was amazing as usual.) He made sure his brother would not get a sight of him – he wore a dark jacket and put the hood over his head, and chose to sit in the far end of the bleachers.

Since the match started, Kabaji had copied Fuji's counters one by one, resulting in a seemingly never-ending stalemate. But just like Tezuka's match, the difference in their physiques put the genius at a disadvantage. The usual observer would think that Fuji was in trouble, but looking at his brother's closed eyes, Yuuta knew better.

_Their tactic is working but... Aniki hasn't made his move yet._

When Kabaji took another game, leading 4-3, Fuji started adjusting his racket strings, staring through them absentmindedly as he sat for a short break. After a while, he stopped and opened his eyes slowly, revealing his sharp blue eyes.

_It's coming_.

At that moment, while watching his brother unzip his tennis bag to fetch his gold racket, Yuuta felt an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar rush coursing through his veins. He barely suppressed a shudder as a mild breeze blew the slightly long hair framing the genius' face, revealing a sliver of seriousness with every inch of skin exposed.

It had been like that every time, now that he remembered. There weren't many players who could make his brother take off his usual smile, and watching Fuji play in his present condition would freeze and then melt his blood in an instant. It was like watching a samurai's duel – just like when Echizen switches his racket to his left hand, the sight of the genius' piercing blue eyes meant that the sword had been drawn from its sheath.

The rest of the match had been a blur to Yuuta – it vaguely registered to him that all of a sudden, his brother had stopped using his counters altogether. A hint of a smile, tiny but nothing less _real_, appeared on Fuji's face, and they were grade schoolers once more, just having fun playing tennis, shoes shuffling in the dust, rackets swinging like there's no tomorrow.

The young boy got up to his feet, a hand on his pocket, the other on the strap of his tennis bag. The match wasn't over yet, but he knew. His Aniki would not lose.

* * *

"I'm home!"

Fuji Yumiko looked up from typing on her laptop. That voice... isn't that... Yuuta? She stood up and rushed to the door, and was greeted by the sight of her brother. He had just finished taking off his shoes.

"I'm home, nee-san," he repeated.

"Yuuta! Welcome back!" she hugged him, and he reluctantly hugged her back. Even after all these years, his sister hadn't changed at all.

"This is a surprise. You didn't say you were coming home today. I could've prepared something," Yumiko said as she pulled away, her grip lingering in his arms. "Syuusuke called earlier to say that he will have dinner at Kawamura Sushi with the team. So it's just the two of us."

Yuuta smiled slightly. Ever since Kawamura quit tennis to train himself as a sushi chef, it was well-known that the old team was still visiting their family restaurant after tournament matches out of habit. Of course, they would pay now because Taka-san's not on the team anymore, but that hadn't stopped the former power player from giving them extra servings for free.

It was one of those team building activities that St. Rudolph lacked. Mizuki had always been hard-pressed in developing their individual skills, and as the manager of the team, it wasn't exactly his responsibility to get the team together. That role should have been the captain's, but then again, save for doubles, tennis isn't really meant to be played as a team.

"Shall I bake a raspberry pie for you?" Yumiko said as she led her brother into the living room. The boy's silence did not escape her watch.

That caught Yuuta's attention.

"I'd like that."

* * *

"Syuusuke told me your team lost to Saeki-kun's. I would have loved to come and watch your matches, but it's been busy at work lately," Yumiko said while they were eating, trying to strike a conversation with her brother.

"By the way, Syuusuke won his match earlier. The team lost though. It was unfortunate they had to face such a strong team this early in the tournament. They could've been in the best four..."

Yuuta did not respond. He was eating, but one look at his eyes and Yumiko knew that his mind was somewhere else. When it came to her raspberry pies, Yuuta would be asking for second servings by now. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Yuuta?"

The boy stopped eating and looked at her, but the words that left his lips told her that he didn't hear her at all.

"What did you think of my transfer to St. Rudolph, nee-san?"

So many implications in that one simple question. Finally, he was touching on the issue hounding above their heads the whole time, like thunder booming long after the lightning had struck. And once it cracked, it could never be stopped.

"Why are you asking that now, Yuuta?"

He told her everything – how he had wanted to carve his own name as a tennis player, his jealousy from the match of the Kisarazu twins, his frustrations about the match against his brother he long sought, Saeki's words that sent his mind into turmoil.

Yumiko smiled to herself. Yuuta rarely opened up to her, especially when it came to his relationship with his brother. For years, they were trying to preserve whatever fragile harmony they managed to have after the boy left home, and she was glad that he'd grown mature enough to face the situation.

"Why do you play tennis, Yuuta?"

Yuuta found himself unable to answer. A part of him wanted to say that he wanted to defeat his Aniki, but he himself had started to question that ever since that match with Echizen two years ago.

"Sorry, that must have been a really vague question. Let me rephrase," Yumiko said, sensing her brother's confusion. "Why did you start playing tennis?"

Yuuta suddenly remembered seeing Fuji and Saeki rallying in the court near the children's playground in Chiba. A while back, the three of them used to play together in those wooden toys made by oji. But ever since Fuji and Saeki got into tennis, Yuuta was left alone, watching them as they hit the ball back and forth.

"I... I wanted to play with aniki," Yuuta finally said, more to himself than to his sister.

"And do you still feel that way now?"

He gave Yumiko a look showing that he finally, _finally_ understood what she was trying to tell him.

"...Yes."

"That's all I need to know," Yumiko smiled at him. "Now, shall we finish this raspberry pie?"

* * *

Fuji was surprised that Yuuta was home. Yumiko had sent him a look and a smile when she opened the door to let him in, and now that they were exchanging pleasantries over tea he'd realized that something was up after he caught his brother glancing at him for the umpteenth time. He was rather used to the boy avoiding his gaze and his presence altogether.

When he heard footsteps outside his room long after he had retired for the night, he knew he'd finally get to the bottom of things. He was up long before the knock came, and tried not to look to eager when he opened the door.

"Yuuta. Come in."

As soon as the genius closed the door behind him, Yuuta got to the point.

"Bring your racket at ten tomorrow. I'll be waiting at the tennis court by the train station."

Yuuta couldn't read his brother's expression. At the very least, he was expecting to see his brother's eyebrows furrowed. But he had kept his usual smile plastered on his face, and he couldn't seem to have enough of it for him to see beyond that mask.

"People don't bring rackets on dates, Yuuta," Fuji finally said after a few moments of silence. Yuuta choked. "Saa, I wonder where you'll take me? The planetarium?"

"IT ISN'T A DATE!" Just what the hell was his brother thinking?

"That's too bad. I've always wanted to go to the planetarium."

"Stop teasing me, aniki! I'm being serious here!"

At Yuuta's exasperated tone, Fuji decided to cut the mischief and grew silent.

"L-Let's play, aniki. I ask you to play me seriously."

"Alright."

* * *

When Fuji awoke the next morning, Yuuta had already gone ahead. At the dining table, Yumiko greeted him with a smile that was neither sadistic nor charming nor amused – just a pure, hopeful smile, a smile more difficult to read than his own mask.

He was certain that his sister knew about Yuuta's motivations to suddenly challenge him in a match, that much he had caught on, at least. Had this been about any other matter, he would have just asked her directly. But her silence during breakfast told him he wasn't going to get any answers from her.

_You'll find out for yourself soon, Syuusuke_, she seemed to tell him.

However, deep inside him, the genius knew exactly what the match was about. Perhaps he had been waiting for this confrontation ever since Yuuta left Seigaku. He'd been waiting all along to meet his younger brother on the court – a long overdue talk through their rackets and balls.

The truth was, he did not know how to deal with the situation back then, Fuji admitted to himself as he jogged his way to the station. He did not know what to say to a younger brother affected by comparisons and expectations, so he chose to just let him go and allowed him to decide for himself. It strained their relationship, but Yuuta had grown well as a result, and that was all that mattered to him.

He could see Yuuta sitting on the bench and adjusting his racket strings as he stood momentarily outside the gates, a tiny hesitation creeping in his mind. He wanted to reconcile more than anything, but he was unsure how playing in full strength and defeating his brother would lead to that.

The younger boy turned, and finally spotted him. Automatically, he donned his smiling mask as he pushed the gates open and entered the courts.

"Aniki," Yuuta stood up as he greeted him.

"Yuuta. You seem to be in good condition," Fuji sounded laid-back as always, hiding his reservations about going all-out against his brother.

"Shall we start?" It was a simple invitation, but skipping pleasantries and the intensity of Yuuta's gaze sent his message well.

"Alright."

Yuuta wasted no time and positioned himself behind the baseline. He bounced the ball several times, eyes glued to the spot where the neon green ball met its shadow. Fuji did not miss his smile – a smile that strongly resembled Yumiko's that morning.

The younger boy tossed the ball in the air, bent his knees, and swung his racket. It connected with a loud bam, and a moment later the ball landed in the corner of Fuji's service box. The tensai chased the serve, drew his arms back for a swing, and hit the ball.

"_Heavy_," Fuji said under his breath as he gritted his teeth while trying to return the ball across. It was a shallow shot landing just past the service box, so Yuuta easily returned it with a rising shot to the other side.

Fifteen-love.

Fuji straightened up. He hadn't opened his eyes, but his eyebrows visibly furrowed together as he glanced towards his younger brother. His gazed lingered, until he positioned himself to get ready for the next serve.

He paid close attention to Yuuta's form this time. His brother was really the big server between the two of them because he was taller and more muscular, but he hadn't expected that he would have this much difficulty in returning his serve. When did he get that much power?

Yuuta served again, and Fuji saw it: his brother was bending his knees a little lower than usual to pack more power to his serve. The tensai allowed it to speed past him and just followed its path with a scrutinizing gaze.

When Yuuta popped his third serve, Fuji held his racket with both hands, charged towards the ball, and returned it with much ease than he did a while ago – only to be returned with another rising shot.

It seemed like Yuuta's serves were the least of his worries in this match.

Yuuta took the first game with an ace. He fisted his left hand in slight celebration, but when he saw his brother's still closed eyes, he got his focus back on track in an instant.

_I have to get him to be serious._

Yuuta's eyes widened when he recognized Fuji's stance – the tips of his fingers was gripping the top of the ball, and his racket positioned to the side. In no time, the tensai took the game with four consecutive invisible serves gone untouched.

"Darn, that was fast," the younger Fuji hissed under his breath. He glanced at his brother's relaxed form which revealed nothing, and released a deep sigh, as if making up his mind. Now that it came to this, it looked like he had no choice.

Yuuta fired the power-packed serve towards his brother once again, which the genius returned with a two-handed backhand to his left. A shallow and soft return. A chance.

It was now or never.

Yuuta raised his racket, lowered his torso, and bended his knees, his eyes focused on the ball. Fuji recognized the stance immediately – it was the Twist Spin Shot, the shot that bastard manager taught his younger brother two years ago despite knowing the potential damage it could cause to the shoulder.

"Stop, Yuuta!" the usually calm genius suddenly shouted, revealing a pair of glassy blue gray eyes. But the younger boy had already hit the ball, gripping his left wrist to complete his follow-through.

Fuji narrowed his eyes. He had no choice but to return the shot.

The genius pulled his arm back and glanced at the ball steadily, planting his feet on the ground. And then, he hit the ball head on, his arm shaking at the shot's characteristic wild spin, which was tamed like a beast as Fuji maneuvered his racket to send the ball over the net.

Fourth counter, Kagero Zutsumi.

It was a shot that created an illusion of the ball coming slowly, but that did not matter. To the genius' surprise, Yuuta had straightened up, his head bowed to his chest, allowing the ball to zoom past him.

"Yuuta! Are you alright?" Did that shot hurt his shoulder? "What... happened?"

"You opened your eyes," the younger boy slowly looked up, "you got serious, Aniki. I'm happy."

"What are you–"

"Back _then_," Yuuta paused to bite his lip, "back when I told you I was going to leave Seigaku, you didn't do anything. I was hoping you'd stop me. I hated you for that."

Fuji sucked in a sharp intake of breath.

"It's true that I wanted to surpass you. To silence all those people who only know me as your younger brother. To make them acknowledge me as Fuji Yuuta, just Fuji Yuuta." A pause. "I thought it was brave of me to start my own path away from you."

It was Yuuta's turn to inhale deeply.

"But in reality, I knew_ – _I goddamned _knew_ – that I've been a coward all along; conveniently escaping, rather than facing those people who looked down on me."

"That day," Yuuta turned to the side, refusing to look at his brother directly, "that day when I packed my bags, I realized that when it comes down to it, I never really cared about what other people say. I was only waiting for you to stop me. But you didn't."

"Yuuta, I–"

"But it's okay. Because this time around..." Yuuta finally looked at him in the eyes. "...you did."

At that moment, Fuji's mask fell off, revealing fireworks of candid emotions across his face.

"I didn't realize that the reason I wanted to face you in an official match was because I wanted to stand on the same court _with you _again, until Saeki-san pointed it out to me," Yuuta said, a blush creeping to his cheeks. (There was no way he was going to say he missed his brother. No way at all.)

He slowly approached the net, reached out his hand, and then smiled that same hopeful smile to his brother.

"Let's go to the Nationals together, Aniki."

* * *

A/N: And that ends this chapter. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated, so please don't hesitate to leave a review! :)


	3. Chapter 3: Newcomers

**A/N: **Finally, the story begins three years after the Nationals!

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Three: Newcomers**

Osakada Tomoka hummed to herself as she entered the gates of Seigaku. Now that she was on her first year of high school, she had ditched the high pigtails and had let her hair down in an attempt to look more mature. After all, she would finally be reunited with her good-looking senpai-tachi from the tennis club, and there was always the possibility of her beloved Ryoma-sama coming back to Japan.

Or maybe, another prince like him would arrive to sweep her off her feet.

The thought made her squeal inwardly and added an extra spring to her step until she reached the bulletin board in which the class lists were displayed.

A small crowd of students had already gathered around the area to check their assigned classes. While waiting for her turn, Osakada looked around for familiar faces. If she was lucky enough, she might be able to spot Fuji or Kikumar–

Her breath hitched in her throat upon setting her eyes on a tall, tanned and handsome guy clad in a white shirt, green sweatpants, and rubber shoes. A white towel was draped on his neck, which he had been using to wipe the sweat off his black hair.

And then, Osakada's scrutiny made a wild turn.

Strong jaw. Broad-shoulders. Toned muscles.

He was absolutely _sexy._

Osakada bit her lip. She stared at his face for a few more moments, until she finally managed to tear her gaze away before she started mentally undressing her newfound prince.

If she had not been too busy thanking the gods for her luck, she would have noticed someone familiar stopping briefly at her side to check his assigned class, before continuing on his way.

It was someone she would definitely be shocked to see wearing a Seigaku uniform.

* * *

A small sigh escaped Oishi's lips as he settled on a seat by the window. There was no one from the tennis club among his classmates, but despite their absence he could not help but worry about the team.

The previous coach had been transferred to another school shortly after the season ended, and left without deciding the regulars, captain, and vice-captain to allow his replacement to freely rebuild the team. The new coach, however, would not be arriving until today. The team had no choice but to practice on their own without any guidance from a knowledgeable coach during the off-season.

_If Tezuka had at least been there..._

Oishi did not dare to finish that thought. Tezuka had already fulfilled his promise to lead the team to the Nationals, he reminded himself. Now that their pillar of support had decided to face the world, he knew they just could not depend on him anymore.

It was the same feeling, when Tezuka first went to Germany for his rehabilitiation. Oishi tensed up and stressed himself down back then, but thanks to Echizen's encouragement, he managed to pull himself and the team together. The freshman, no matter how young he was, became their pillar in their captain's absence.

But Echizen, too, had left. He was Seigaku's future, but fate had different plans for him. Before they knew it, he had gone to the international stage even before Tezuka did.

Oishi shook his head. There was no use agonizing over what was long gone. He had high hopes for this year, now that what was left of the old team would be together again. Fuji would be there, Inui would be there. Momoshiro, Kaidou, Eiji...

He lowered his head and touched his right wrist at the thought of his smiling doubles partner.

"Is this seat open?"

Oishi almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. He really should control his thoughts; he must have been out of it for a while now for him to get startled like that.

"Ah, yes," he answered the girl who just pointed the seat in front of him. She gave him a small bow in thanks and began to put her things in the desk.

Unbeknownst to Oishi, she watched him from the corner of her eyes before she settled herself down on the seat.

_Oishi Shuichirou..._

* * *

"I'm sorry, Horio-kun. I already have someone I like," Kachiro mimicked a girl's voice, "Let's still be friends, ne?" he finished, blinking his eye lashes.

Katsuo tried to stifle his laugh. When he could not take it anymore, he exploded into a fit of laughter together with Kachiro much to Horio's annoyance.

"Stop it, you guys!"

"I bet you thought," Katsuo paused to laugh some more, "that you could finally make a move on Ryuuzaki-san after Echizen left for America."

"Shut up!" Horio gritted his teeth. "Damn that Echizen... I'll show you, with my five years of tennis experience, I will be Seigaku's new super rookie and win Ryuuzaki-chan's heart!"

"There's no way your five years of tennis experience could match up to a boy of fifteen who's doing well in the grand slams," Kachiro said as-a-matter-of-factly, when his laughter finally died down. "No way at all."

"Shut up! I won't give up! I definitely won't give up!" Horio said, fisting his hand and putting it to his chest.

Kachiro opened his mouth to tease him some more, but Katsuo gestured to him to look to the side. He did a double take, and then turned to his friend. They stared at each other, nodded simultaneously, and the smirked. This was going to be fun.

Kachiro poked Horio on the shoulders.

"What now?" the boy snapped at him.

"Ryuuzaki-san is here," he said with a glint in his eyes.

"Really? Where?"

Katsuo wordlessly pointed to him where to look, and then smirked at the shock that fell like hard bricks on Horio's ego.

"Why is Fuji-senpai's brother here in Seigaku?!"

* * *

"It's been a while, eto... Fuji-senpai," Ryuuzaki Sakuno greeted Yuuta when she met him in the hallway.

The girl was the first person to greet him that morning. He did not recognize her at first with that short hair, but her shy demeanor immediately gave away who she was.

"Just Yuuta-senpai would do. I don't want to get confused with Aniki," Yuuta looked away at the last part. That's right. He had ran away long enough; he was here to finally face the people who drove him away because of their unending comparisons with his brother. He was here to make them recognize him for himself.

Yuuta looked so lost in his thoughts that Ryuuzaki did not have the chance to respond.

"Well, I have to get going," he suddenly said. Send my regards to Ryuuzaki-sensei, will you?"

"Ah, hai."

* * *

"We're going to have a transfer student coming in this year," the homeroom teacher said after greeting his students. He then scanned their faces, and finally spotted Yuuta in the back row. "I see you're already here, Fuji-kun."

The whispers started after the class heard his surname.

"Fuji? Does he have any relation to Fuji Syuusuke-senpai?"

"That's right. Fuji Yuuta-kun is our genius' younger brother," the teacher beamed with pride. "Come introduce yourself, Fuji-kun."

"Yes, sir."

Everything was the same as the first time he came to Seigaku in his first year of middle school – he could already feel their expectations in the hushed whispers, the amazed stares, the curiosity with which they regarded him as he made his way to the front.

Back then, he had chickened out, thinking that it was not worth putting up for three years. This time, however, he would not let them get to him. He had to make up for the years of playing with his brother that he had lost.

He held his head high and began introducing himself, silently vowing to create an identity of his own in their eyes.

At the back of the room, a member of the tennis club sighed. He was left-handed, and he had heard about Yuuta's reputation as a Southpaw Killer. The younger Fuji's presence completely extinguished his hopes on a regular spot.

He mused, however, that Yuuta must be good against right-handers as well. He was Fuji the genius' little brother, after all.

He fished his cellphone from his pocket. He must let Arai know about this.

* * *

Yuuta found himself engulfed in one of Eiji's killer bear hugs during lunch. He went to the cafeteria with his brother to meet up with the regulars from three years ago, and he was taken aback by the warmth with which they received him.

"Let go of me, Kikumaru-sa… eto… Kikumaru-senpai!" he said, trying to pry the senior's arms away from him.

Kikumaru only tightened his grip. "Eiji-senpai, nya!"

"Alright, alright! I can't… breathe… Eiji… senpai…"

"Let go of him already, Eiji!" The acrobat sent Oishi a sheepish smile and finally released Yuuta.

"Eto… welcome back to Seigaku, Yuuta-kun," Kawamura said shyly, characteristically scratching the back of his head.

"Ah, thank you," Yuuta said while catching his breath.

"Oi, viper! Looks like we have a new rival, haven't we?" Momoshiro said, sending Yuuta a challenging but friendly look.

Kaidou ignored him and nodded to the younger Fuji in greeting.

"I see… this was the reason for the increase in Fuji's good mood, which constantly accelerated by six percent every week…" Inui murmured as he wrote in his ever-present green notebook.

Fuji chuckled lightly.

"Your brother's as sly as ever, not allowing me to collect even his personal data," Inui turned to Yuuta.

"Inui's right. You could have told us he's coming, Fuji," Oishi said. "We could have prepared something."

"I thought I wanted to surprise you guys."

"That's cruel, nya!"

"Eiji-senpai…" Yuuta suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"You sound like a cat."

Everyone burst into laughter.

In another corner of the cafeteria, the girl in Oishi's class watched the group with calculating gray eyes.

_Fuji Yuuta…_

* * *

"Momo-chan-senpai! Momo-chan-senpai!" Horio shouted in between gasps. He sprinted from his classroom to the cafeteria in an effort to catch the rowdy second year.

"Ah, long time no see, Horio-kun! How are you doing?"

"I have news!" the freshman managed to say before bending to his knees to catch his breath.

"Eh? What is it?"

Horio straightened up and cleared his throat. He then looked at the expectant faces of his senpai-tachi and inwardly grinned, which instantly froze when his eyes landed on Yuuta.

"What is it, Horio?" Oishi pressed him.

Horio suddenly broke into cold sweat.

"Ah, no. I-It's nothing! I'm sorry!"

The poor freshman high-tailed out of their sight. Apparently, his news was not news to them anymore.

* * *

In the far end of the cafeteria, three second years were having a caucus.

"Katayama's telling the truth, after all. There's no doubt Fuji-senpai's younger brother will join the club. What are we going to do now, Arai?"

"He's strong. His presence definitely lessens our chances of getting a regular spot."

"Shut up! I'll think of something," Arai said, putting his thumb on his upper lip.

The two exchanged worried glances.

"But–"

"Listen, you two. We're going to chase him away, got it?"

* * *

"Gather around, everyone!"

Hurried footsteps resonated as soon as Oishi made the call.

"Today, we're going to meet our new coach. Let's behave ourselves and receive him properly," he said.

"Hai!"

Meanwhile, behind the fence, Osakada dragged Ryuuzaki into another fangirling session.

"I hope the new coach won't be an old geezer," the loud-mouthed girl whispered.

"Ah…" the shy girl answered as vague as she could. _That's really rude, Tomo-chan…_

"Ah! Now that I remember, I saw a really _hot_ guy this morning! He's tall, and tanned, and handsome… oh my gosh that's him, Sakuno, that's him!"

Osakada pointed the guy who just entered the gates with a girl wearing a dark blue jersey and matching sweatpants.

"I wonder if he's a member of the tennis club…"

Everyone from the team bowed and greeted him simultaneously to show respect.

"Is he the captain or something? He is so cool!"

"Ano, they might hear you, Tomo-chan…"

"Hello, everyone. I'm Irukawa Kousuke, your new coach. I'll be teaching physical education classes, too, so some of you may be my students in the coming days. Nice to meet you," he flashed them a smile, which instantly converted most of the girls watching to be his fans, starting with Osakada.

"And this girl here is my daughter, Irukawa Kazue," he said. The fangirls did not know whether to celebrate because she wasn't his girlfriend, or to wallow in despair instead because he was already married. "She's going to be the team manager. She's a third year."

"Nice to meet you," Kazue bowed slightly. She then turned to Oishi and gave him a slight nod. She was the girl who just transferred to his class.

The coach continued. "It's been a while since I last coached a tennis club, so I'm under your care from now on. I'm counting on you," he said with a smile.

Oishi's worries returned after hearing that. _Are we going to be okay?_

"Hai!"

"Now, I want you to pair up with someone around the same level as yourself," Kousuke said. "We need to decide the regulars soon. Of course we already have everyone's records, but I want to see your skills with my own eyes."

"Eh? We're not going to hold ranking selection matches, kantoku?"

"I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time," Kousuke said. "Winning or losing doesn't matter, so you just have to show me everything you've got today."

"Are there any more questions?" There was no response. "Alright, let's begin the matches."

* * *

Kazue approached Yuuta, who was watching the practice outside the fence.

"Fuji Yuuta-kun."

He was startled a bit by the voice. This girl… how did she know his name? Well, she was the manager. She was probably adept at gathering information like Mizuki and Inui.

"Yes?"

"You're going to join the club, aren't you?" She regarded him with sharp gray eyes.

"…Yes. I was thinking I will submit my registration form after practice…" _There was something about this girl…_

She held out her hand. "I'll take care of it."

"Ah, okay." Yuuta handed her the form. _Something…_

"Th-thank you, Irukawa-senpai."

She nodded at him wordlessly and left.

_Did I just… get scared of her?_

* * *

Three matches proved to be more exciting than the rest – the clash between rivals Momoshiro and Kaidou, the face-off of the Golden Pair, and the duel between Inui's data tennis and Fuji's counters. Kousuke, however, focused his attention more on the last match.

He was watching Fuji with the same calculating eyes as his daughter.

_Tennis prodigy, huh…_

"Alright, that's it. I've seen enough," the coach said, clapping his hands.

"Eh? We've only played nine games!" Eiji whined.

Kousuke chuckled. "Don't worry. You'll get to play full matches soon, Kikumaru-kun."

"I guess I just have to postpone collecting data on you to a later time, Fuji."

"Get this, viper. You better be ready for the continuation of this fight!"

"Bring it on, porcupine head."

"What did you say?"

"Cut it out, you guys."

Kousuke smiled at their antics. This was a very interesting team, indeed.

"That's it for today. Thanks for your hard work, everyone!"

* * *

That night, Kousuke joined his daughter in the study.

"Homework already?"

"I'm fixing the regular roster," Kazue answered without looking up from her writing.

There were a lot of videotapes scattered on the floor. She had spent her spring break going through all the recorded matches she could find, and created a profile for each player. Yuuta's transfer was unexpected, but it was a good thing there was recording of his match against Echizen three years ago among the tapes. It was not enough, but it would suffice.

Kousuke glanced at her daughter's work. She had already filled up most of the regular spots.

"Good work so far. But don't push yourself, okay?" he said and headed out of the room.

"Oh, before I forget," he halted in his steps and faced her again, "make sure you make Fuji-kun the captain, alright?"

"What?" Kazue paused her writing and looked up for the first time.

"You don't agree?"

"He may be a genius, but he doesn't have what it takes to lead Seigaku to the Nationals."

* * *

A/N: Am I the only one who thinks that sometimes, it doesn't feel right to translate "hai" to "yes" or "okay" or even "alright?" It bothered me a bit while writing this, so I decided to keep it as it is. I know some readers don't like romaji, but I suppose some language nuances could be tolerated? Oh well. Tell me what you think in a review, that would be very much welcome!


	4. Chapter 4: Motives and Motivations

**A/N:** Happy new year, everyone!

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Motives and Motivations**

Kousuke wordlessly went to the desk, skimmed through the player profiles, and then stopped at Fuji's.

"Fuji-kun," he started, "is an interesting guy. It wasn't that he lacks motivation, as you may think – it's just that he doesn't actively _seek_ motivation other than the sheer thrill of the game."

Kazue frowned. _Tsk._ _Same difference._

"He is undoubtedly a genius, blessed with a natural feel for the sport. Unfortunately, he unconsciously seals his own potential. And that is why..." he paused, searching his daughter's eyes. "...we have to help him."

The girl narrowed her eyes. She did not like where this was going. "What are you planning to do?"

"We're going to create the motivation he needs," Kousuke said. "It's either that, or instill in him something similar to it."

"Like the sense of responsibility," Kazue finished for him. She didn't like it when her father beats around the bush.

"Right."

"Fine," Kazue said after a few moments. It's not like she could do anything about it anyway. Her father's the coach, after all. "It's not my fault if the team loses as early as the prefecturals."

"Don't worry, it's all on me," Kousuke gave his daughter a cheery smile. "Oh, and one more thing. Don't take him out of the singles one spot, alright? Or else it won't work at all."

* * *

Yuuta visibly froze when he opened his locker to change into indoor shoes.

"What's the matter, Yuuta?" Fuji asked his brother with concern.

"Ah, nothing, it's just..." Yuuta did not know how to respond. If his Aniki were to know that there was a letter inside his locker, he was certainly doomed to be teased his whole life. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration but... anyway, he had to hide it before anyone else sees–

"There's a love letter inside his locker, Fujiko!"

Too late. Trust Eiji to have quick eyes.

Yuuta sighed. He was no match against his brother and the bubbly senpai combined when they insisted the three of them go to school together, and now he was paying the price.

"Really? Let me see," Fuji said with a hint of mischief in his usual smile. "Maybe I should take a picture for nee-san..."

"Go away, Aniki!" Fuji chuckled as his brother pushed his face out of the way, and then turned to the snickering Eiji behind him. "And it's not a love letter, Eiji-senpai!"

"Now, now," the acrobat said, trying to control his laugh, "don't be shy, Yuuta-chan!"

"Stop teasing me, you two! And don't call me Yuuta-chan!"

* * *

"So much for not being a love letter," Yuuta muttered to himself as he finished reading the contents of the letter when he finally got to be alone. He casually crumpled the piece of paper with one hand, and then nonchalantly tossed it in the nearest trash can.

It was evident in that relaxed stance of his – he had seen it coming. His eyes, however, changed: a certain hardness, strikingly similar to his brother's serious expression, began to show in them.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away, unaware of the gray-eyed girl watching his back. She waited until he turned into a corner before approaching the trash can, and then slowly bent down to pick the thrown paper from the heaps of garbage. With gentle fingers, she straightened it out and began reading.

_Don't be so full of yourself, Fuji Yuuta. Just because you are Fuji the genius' little brother, it doesn't mean you are untouchable here in Seigaku! Why don't you go back to St. Rudolph before something bad happens to you? Just a little warning._

Kazue pocketed the letter, and left the scene with eyes gleaming dangerously like the blade of a sword.

* * *

"Psssssh…" Kaidou stopped rallying with Oishi and hissed in annoyance.

"Having a bad day, viper?" Momoshiro started on his rival as he balanced his racket on one finger.

"Shut up. It is noisy enough as it is," the other boy answered with a scowl.

It would have escalated into another full-scale shouting spree and shirt grabbing, if not for the fact that the power player actually agreed with him. The noise killed the mood for any bickering.

"The last time this happened was…" Momoshiro put a finger on his chin in contemplation. "…when Echizen joined the team three years ago," he finished, sending an amused look to the girls loudly chattering about their extremely good-looking coach.

"Kantoku is even more prolific than Echizen in attracting fans," Inui suddenly said, his notebook in hand. "On Echizen's second day on the team, spectatorship shot up by 36 percent. Today, as of my last computation, the number of people watching our practice increased by 61 percent," he adjusted his glasses as he finished.

"Whoa, it's true! Many are watching us even from the school buildings!" Eiji opened his eyelids wider to have a better look.

"Perhaps I should ask him to model for me sometime," Fuji paused for a bit, and then he added with a chuckle, "I wonder how much I will earn if I were to sell his pictures to those girls..?"

"Fuji!" Oishi exclaimed. He never did get used to Fuji's antics.

The genius only chuckled some more in response, which they did not actually hear because of the sudden torrent of squeals from their female audience. The squeals meant only one thing: their coach had arrived, with their manager not far behind.

"Before we begin our practice today," Kousuke said after the club members greeted him, "I'd like to introduce our newest member."

The squeals turned into murmurs of curiosity, which eventually turned into another round of chattering when the gates creaked open, followed by the footsteps of the person who just entered.

"Ne, tell me, Sakuno," Osakada elbowed her friend, "is it just me, or is that Fuji-senpai's younger brother?"

"Yes. He was watching yesterday, didn't you see him?"

"What? No! I didn't notice him at all! I was busy ogling Irukawa-sensei…" the girl intertwined her fingers, her expression suddenly turning dreamy as she turned her attention back to the handsome coach. She completely forgot all her questions about Yuuta's sudden transfer.

"I think many of you knew him already, but this is Fuji Yuuta-kun, Fuji-kun's younger brother. He'll be joining us starting today," Kousuke tapped Yuuta's shoulder.

"I'm Fuji Yuuta. Nice to meet you," the boy bowed respectfully. When he straightened up, his eyes met his brother's. The genius smiled at him proudly.

Kousuke clapped his hands twice to get everyone's attention. "Okay everyone, finish warming up. We'll be doing physical fitness tests today."

"Hai!"

Somewhere in the far end of the courts, two second years were whispering.

"What are we going to do, Arai? He looks unfazed."

"Don't worry, we've only sent a warning anyway," the second year smirked. "The worst is yet to come."

They were completely unaware of a pair of gray eyes closely watching them, like a predator eyeing its prey.

* * *

"Welcome," Kawamura said automatically when he heard the door sliding open. A girl in a Seigaku uniform entered, and then walked towards the counter.

"What would you like to order, miss?" He asked with a smile.

"I'd like some tempura sushi, please," she said as she made herself comfortable on the seat.

"Certainly," Kawamura said, and then proceeded to the kitchen to prepare her order. When he got back, she was looking at the maki rolls he had been making.

"You were practicing?" she asked as soon as she spotted him.

"Ah, yes," he said shyly. "Here's your tempura sushi."

"Thank you," she said, and began eating.

There weren't many customers that day, so Kawamura resumed making maki rolls. From time to time he would glance at the girl to see if she was enjoying the food, but eventually he focused on his training.

"Kawamura-kun."

"Yes?" he was so engrossed in making the rolls that he was not able to catch that the girl knew his name.

"The team needs you."

He almost dropped the maki in shock.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself first. I am Irukawa Kazue, the manager of the tennis club."

"What can I do for you, Irukawa-san?" he said tentatively, not really understanding what was going on.

"Like I said, the team needs you."

"Eh? I don't understand. Why me? I already quit tennis three years ago. Now, I am training to be a sushi chef to help in the family business."

"I know."

Kawamura did not know how to go from there. The girl's gray eyes were staring directly at his own. He swallowed.

"I know you are fully aware that the team has weakened considerably now that you, Tezuka-kun, and Echizen-kun are not part of it anymore. Last year, the same team lost in the quarterfinals of the prefecturals. The team needs all the reinforcements it can get."

"Fuji's younger brother already joined the team, didn't he? I'm sure with him around, the team wouldn't need me anymore. All I ever had was power, anyway."

"That's why I'm asking you to come back."

"Eh?"

"I'm going to make you a player with not only power in his arsenal."

Kawamura blushed. It was the first time he ever heard such a thing said to him. It was… touching.

"I intend to go to the Nationals with this team, Kawamura-kun. So please think about it."

* * *

There was vandal all over Yuuta's locker.

He instantly shut it closed as soon as he got his indoor shoes, which were miraculously spared from all the ink and paint.

_Or maybe it wasn't really a miracle…_

Someone didn't want his brother to know about this. In any case, it was more convenient for him. He did not want the genius to know, either.

* * *

_GO HOME! YOU DON'T BELONG HERE!_

Fuji's eyes opened wide as he read the vandal inside Yuuta's locker. He'd noticed the change in his brother after he received that letter, so he decided to secretly investigate. And then these greeted him.

It was strange, the genius thought. He was pretty sure there was no trace of any ink or paint on Yuuta's indoor shoes. It was totally impossible not to soil them, unless… it was deliberate. The person behind all these was then… afraid of someone knowing about this. And that someone was most likely him.

The culprit was someone who knew him well. Which could only be…

Fuji's eyes were burning with anger, like a blue flame fueled with gasoline.

"He won't appreciate you doing something about this from the shadows."

He turned, and his blazing eyes met a pair of steel-cold ones.

* * *

Kawamura stared at his old racket, which was hanging on the wall in his room. He hadn't touched it in years – he did not want to feel that burning of a fire lighting inside him whenever he did so, now that he had decided to quit tennis and pursue his sushi training. It would certainly give him second thoughts, and he did not want to disappoint his father by working halfheartedly.

But after that talk with the manager of the team, he was instantly tossed into a whirlwind of doubts. What she gave him was not a merely an opportunity to go back to the team – it was a promise, a promise that he could be more than what he used to be.

He got up from his bed and went to the kitchen. He found his father preparing a delivery.

"Father."

"What is it, Takashi?" the older Kawamura gave him a quick glance and then went back to arranging the sushi rolls in the wooden tub.

"What would you say if… I suddenly went back to playing tennis?"

"Hmm… why do you ask?" the man set his lips in a firm line. He knew this day would come.

Kawamura's first impulse was to tell him it was nothing, just never mind, he was just being silly anyway, but he never had the heart to lie or hide something from his father.

"Eto… you see… the manager of the team came by yesterday. She says she wants me back on the team."

"And?"

"She says she'd make me more than just a power player."

The old man said nothing.

"Ano… I promise I'll work harder! I'll double… no, triple my sushi training!" he suddenly said and bowed low, surprising both himself and his father. His body just moved on its own accord.

The older Kawamura smiled after a few moments of awkward silence. "Go ahead. You've always been fickle, my son," he said, and then affectionately ruffled Kawamura's hair.

"Thank you, father!"

That night, shouts of "burning baby!" echoed in the Kawamura household, together with the familiar sound of a racket cutting through air.

* * *

A loud crash startled the whole class. Yuuta was down on the floor, and underneath him was the mess that used to be his chair seconds ago. It broke down the moment he set his weight on it.

"Are you okay, Fuji-kun?" several girls offered to help him up, but he gently brushed them off and stood on his own.

"I'm fine, thank you," he said, flashing them a small smile of assurance. "We must tell sensei about the chair, though."

"I'll go tell him about it now," one of the girls said, and then she quickly excused herself.

"The chair must've been old for it to break like that," another girl from the crowd said.

"Yeah. Must be," Yuuta muttered absentmindedly. He was sure he heard the tiny sound of a metal hitting the floor before he fell with the chair, which could only be the screws rolling near his feet. Someone definitely loosened them beforehand.

* * *

The coach was nowhere to be found.

Everyone on the team was already done with their warm-up, and they were all looking at Kazue expectantly. She sighed. Judging by the absence of the girls behind the fence, she had a fairly good idea where her father could be.

Her phone rang. _Here comes the devil._

"Father."

"I'm sorry, Kazue-chan, several students asked for remedial classes, and I had no choice but to indulge them because we're having basketball, which is a pretty hard sport for girls. But uh, apparently, students from other classes have heard about it and now I'm sort of stuck here in the gym."

She knew it. She could hear the squeaks of "sensei!" in the background.

"And?" She put a hand on her hip and frowned, which prompted some of the club members to back away a few steps.

"Well, you can handle the announcement on your own, can't you?"

"Alright. At least I wouldn't have to worry about the noise."

"I'm counting on you, the- ow!"

The line was cut. Her father was probably being mobbed again.

_Why does this happen all the time?_

She sighed again, and then turned to the club members once more. There was no use thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of having a good-looking father when she had an important task to do. It was better for her, too, she decided, because she could freely do as she pleases now that he's gone for the day.

"What did the coach say, Irukawa-san?" Oishi asked.

"He's on the gym teaching remedial classes," she said, not exactly feeling the need to explain the circumstances. "Anyway, I'm going to announce the regular roster now."

Kazue cleared her throat. Everyone suddenly tensed up, with the exception of the former regulars.

"Captain," she paused, scanning the faces of the third years. They glanced at each other, and then directed their gaze at one particular person.

Oishi.

It was only natural that he would be expected to be the captain, because it was in his hands that Tezuka left the team three years ago. Taking charge when no one else would was innate in him, and nobody probably cared more about the team that he did.

Personally, Kazue didn't think he could keep the team together. A leader was not supposed to do things on his own – he was supposed to influence and inspire his members to achieve a certain goal. But to be honest, he'd rather have him be the captain than…

"Third year, Fuji Syuusuke."

For a fraction of a second, the genius' eyes fluttered open in surprise, but his usual smiling face was back as soon as Eiji tackled him.

"Congratulations, Fuji!" The other regulars also offered their greetings.

"Thank you…" With slightly furrowed eyebrows, he sent a questioning glance at Kazue, but she avoided his gaze. He then caught Yuuta's eyes, and forced to smile at his brother's thumbs-up sign.

"Vice-captain," Kazue said louder to catch everyone's attention once more. "Kaidou Kaoru."

Most of the members shot Kazue a confused glance, as if seeking for confirmation, but her cold stare made them all look away at once. She then nodded at Kaidou, who only hissed in response.

Making him the vice-captain was her compromise with her father: she needed his tenacity to make up for Fuji's laidback demeanor. It slightly irked her that Kousuke didn't seem to mind at all, as long as Fuji was the captain. Seriously, what did he see in the genius? Attitude problems were the hardest to fix, in her honest opinion.

She continued.

"Third year, Kikumaru Eiji." The said boy bowed gracefully, and then flashed everyone a peace sign along with that wide grin of his. He was too goofy for her, but not everyone excels in playing doubles as easily as him.

"Third year, Inui Sadaharu." The data man adjusted his glasses in satisfaction. She did not like his playing style at all, but if they could get wins off it, then it's totally fine.

"Second year, Momoshiro–"

"Alright!"

"–Takeshi." He was too loud, but that instinctive tennis of his was something to be admired – and feared.

"Third year, Oishi Shuichirou." The former vice-captain nodded in acknowledgement. He was a decent strategist, and Kazue could not afford to break off the Golden Pair. She needed their synchro to beef up the doubles roster.

The courts suddenly grew silent. Everyone who was expected to be a regular was already called. The two remaining spots could be anyone among the rest of the club members.

"Second year," Kazue paused, her eyes searching for the boy in the crowd. "Fuji Yuuta."

A chill ran down Yuuta's spine when he saw Kazue's eyes boring through his.

_Her eyes are even scarier than Aniki's…_

"And last but not the least," Kazue closed her eyes briefly, listening to the approaching footsteps. "Kawamura Takashi."

The gates opened, and the power player entered shyly.

"Hello."

"Eh? Kawamura-senpai?" The freshmen trio chorused.

"Taka-san!" The air was squeezed out of Kawamura's lungs as Eiji tackled him.

"This is totally unexpected. My data did not predict this at all," Inui said, and then he sent a glance to their manager.

_I have no data, but I get the feeling that this is her doing…_

"It's good to have you back, senpai," Kaidou quickly got over the shock and greeted him politely.

"Ah, thank you…" _It sure feels nice to be back in the courts again…_

Momoshiro was about to hand him a racket when Kazue suddenly cleared her throat.

"Anyone who has objections with the selected regulars, you may replace one of them provided that you defeat them in a one-set match."

Fuji opened his eyes in sudden realization. She's going to lure _them_ out.

"Eh? What is the meaning of this, Irukawa-san?" Oishi asked worriedly. She said nothing, only sent him a gaze so sharp that he couldn't say anything more.

For a few moments, the courts grew silent once more as everyone processed that information in their minds. And then, slow footsteps took them out of their reverie.

"I'd like to challenge Fuji Yuuta, please."

* * *

A/N: So. A cliffhanger, huh? Many things happened in this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review, that would be very much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5: Cold as steel

**A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to crazedforchange, who writes the best reviews ever. And to Frog-kun, for forever listening to my rants about this fic. Also to fyerigurl, who sort of beta-ed most of this chapter. Thank you very much!

**Disclaimer: **Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Cold as steel**

"Hey, hey. Are you serious about this, Arai?" one of the boy's friends asked with a mix of disbelief and concern in his voice. "This could be bad. If you lose–"

Arai pushed him away. "Shut _up_. I won't pass on a golden opportunity like this," he said, sending a challenging smirk towards Yuuta.

The younger Fuji regarded him a contemplating glance. In the tennis circuit, there were many players like Arai – both in skill level and in attitude. Slightly better than the average player, but prone to getting ahead of themselves.

His guts, however, earned Yuuta's respect. Faced with Fuji's genius, Yuuta could only concede to the superiority of his brother's sheer talent. It was a tiny scratch that wasn't supposed to hurt, but he'd let it get infected and before he knew it, it was eating away his flesh.

"Let's do it," Yuuta finally said. Maybe he'd learn a thing or two from this match.

Oishi clenched his fists. This was how things worked in Hyoutei, he remembered, and he did not like it one bit. It sows too much internal competition in the team, which could grow into unhealthy rivalries and antagonisms. He couldn't stand to see it happening in Seigaku.

He mustered his courage and faced the manager once more.

"Wait, Irukawa-san. I don't think I can approve of this match. If the coach has already decided the regulars, I don't think we are in any position to–"

The icy stare she sent to his direction made him stop mid-sentence. "Are you questioning the way I deal with things, Oishi?"

"Eh? No, I just..." The boy averted his eyes to the side, and then bowed his head. He could not bring himself to respond. It was as if he was pinned on the wall, her question the sharp edge of a dagger pointed at his throat.

Oishi felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Fuji.

"Don't worry, Oishi," he said with a smile. "It'll be fine."

The boy sent the genius a helpless glance. _Aren't you worried about Yuuta-kun?_

Fuji understood his message well, but… he had to trust his brother.

* * *

"_He won't appreciate you doing something about this from the shadows."_

_The genius turned, and his blazing blue eyes met Kazue's pair of steel-cold ones._

_From what she said, Fuji did not have to ask why she was there. She already knew what was happening, probably even earlier than he did. But that wasn't all. She knew a lot more._

"_I have to protect my brother," he insisted. He already failed to protect Yuuta in the past, and he'd go through endless lengths to make it up to him._

_Kazue eyed him. "You think he can't handle this on his own?"_

_She left him at that._

* * *

"One-set match. Arai to serve."

The boy tossed the ball into the air, bent his knees, and then whacked the ball as hard as he could as soon as it reached its peak. Yuuta watched it carefully as it landed on the corner of the service box.

"Fifteen-love."

"Is that... Momo-chan-senpai's... bullet serve?" Horio said in disbelief.

"Arai has been working on his serve for the past years. According to my data, his serve is even faster than Oishi's and Fuji's average speeds," Inui said, adjusting his glasses.

"Is it that fast that Yuuta-senpai couldn't react to it?" Kachiro asked.

"Ah, no. He absolutely had no intention to hit that serve," Momoshiro answered the boy.

"So how do you like my greeting, Fuji?" Arai said, arrogantly pointing his racket at Yuuta.

"Did you mean the serve, or the vandalism? I'd say both were pretty lame," the boy said, taking his position behind the baseline.

"Why you..." Arai gritted his teeth and put all his power into the serve once more.

It was even faster than the first one, but Yuuta easily returned it with a rising shot to the baseline.

"Fifteen-all."

"Whoa, Yuuta-chan's good, too!" Eiji said, slinging an arm around Fuji's shoulders.

"Eiji-senpai! I told you not to call me Yuuta-chan!" the boy shouted, a blush creeping to his cheeks.

Eiji only gave him a grin and a peace sign.

Arai gripped his racket tighter. That had to be a fluke. His bullet serve could not possibly be returned that easily. He served again, but Yuuta proved him wrong. The ball was returned with another rising shot to the other side.

"Fifteen-thirty."

"You should know by now that your serve doesn't work against me," Yuuta said as he prepared himself for the next shot. "Why don't you try returning the ball instead?"

"You bastard..." Arai cursed under his breath, but followed Yuuta's advice anyway. He broke into a sprint to chase the rising shot, but he could not get to it in time.

"You were right about one thing," Yuuta suddenly said, which prompted Arai to pause from wiping the sweat on his temples. "Just because I'm Fuji the genius' little brother, that doesn't make me untouchable here in Seigaku. I've got to thank you for that, at least."

Kazue crossed her arms. Her plan was working.

"Shut up!" Arai served with all his might, which caught Yuuta off guard. The boy could not react in time for a rising shot, so he simply put the ball across for a rally.

"Arai's not bad at all in keeping up with Yuuta-kun's shots," Kawamura said, offering his observation.

"Well, he's good enough to be a regular in an average team," Oishi said, worry still evident in his voice.

Inui closed his notebook. "On the contrary, this is bad."

"Eh? What do you mean, senpai?" Katsuo asked curiously. The data man had never closed his notebook in the middle of watching a match.

As if on cue, Arai fell on his knees while chasing for another ball. "Shit!" He pounded the ground with his fist. So easily... so easily... Yuuta broke his service game!

"Arai." Kazue approached him.

"What?" He wiped the dirt on his face.

"Take them off."

"_What?_"

"Your ankle weights. Take them off."

"Heh... the game's just startin–"

"I said, take them off."

* * *

"So all this time, Arai-senpai's wearing those weights?" Katsuo asked.

"Yes," Inui answered the first year. "He has that habit of wearing weights most of the time as part of his training." _Though it is more surprising that Irukawa-san has caught on that fact this quickly_, he added in his thoughts.

The data man turned to a blank page in his notebook, labeled it "Irukawa Kazue," and began writing.

While Oishi was checking Arai's leg muscles for any injury, the other members of the team began to speculate about Yuuta's serve.

"Yuuta-senpai doesn't look like the type to have a power serve," Horio said, scratching his chin in thought. "But I bet he's got a killer one too!"

Yuuta bounced the ball several times, gripped the ball tightly in his hand, and then checked Arai's position on the other side of the net. There was a glint of seriousness in his eyes, an expression all too familiar with the Seigaku regulars. It was this seriousness that scared the cunning Mizuki and the devil ace Kirihara off their pants.

"I did not know Yuuta-chan can pull off that same face as Fuji!" Eiji said, slinging an arm around Fuji's shoulders.

"Looks like it's in the family, ne, Fuji-buchou?" Momoshiro said.

Fuji shifted uncomfortably. It never crossed his mind that he would become captain – that was a title that always belonged to Tezuka. He wasn't sure if he could lead the team to the Nationals like the bespectacled boy did, and the team did not deserve a pillar who did not even dare to dream.

But his brother dreamt, and Fuji made a promise, caught in the spur of the moment.

"_Let's go to the Nationals together, aniki."_

"_Aa."_

* * *

Yuuta took a deep breath, tossed the ball in the air, bent his knees, and served.

Arai caught up to the ball more quickly this time – his reaction time considerably increased after he had taken off those ankle weights. The ball hit the sweet spot of his racket perfectly, but he could not poise himself for a proper return. The shot was too heavy.

He gritted his teeth, and sent the ball straight to the net.

"Fifteen-love."

"Looks like Arai wasn't the only one who improved on his serve," Momoshiro said, smiling at the prospect of a challenge in Yuuta. He better train harder or his regular spot could be snatched from him in no time.

"It was a good power serve," Kawamura said. "He lessened the strain on his arm by using his knees more."

Fuji smiled proudly at his brother's improvement. Although Yuuta already went back to Seigaku, he still insisted on training independently. The genius only had the occasional friendly matches to see how his brother was doing.

The boy served again, and this time Arai was able to send it over the net. They broke into another rally, which Yuuta ended with a smash aimed between Arai's legs.

"Che," Arai muttered under his breath. _So this is the power of the Southpaw Killer, huh..._

With his serve and the rising shot, the game count rose to Yuuta's favour. The rest of the match went like a blur, and before they knew it, it was the boy's matchpoint.

Arai refused to give up. He went back to the baseline and readied himself for the next serve.

As Yuuta tossed the ball in the air, Arai gripped his racket with two hands and charged towards the ball for a two-handed return. He hit it successfully, and then began to rally at the baseline.

Suddenly, the younger Fuji took an all-too-familiar stance.

Racket raised high…

"Wait, isn't that…" Kachiro murmured.

Lowered torso…

"The shot he used against Echizen…" Katsuo said.

Body slightly turned to the side.

"It's… it's the Twist Spin Shot!" Horio exclaimed.

Fuji widened his eyes in alarm. He already warned his brother about the shot when the boy used it in their match months ago. If Yuuta was still using it, that must mean he was hitting it in practice as well. At this rate, he could really injure his shoulder with the strain.

Yuuta swung his racket, and then, to everyone's surprise, it connected to the ball softly for a drop shot.

"Game. Fuji Yuuta. Six games to love."

Fuji smiled in relief. "Nice fake, Yuuta."

From the school roof, Kousuke smiled at the conclusion of the match and walked away.

* * *

After the match, nobody dared to challenge any more of the regulars. Kazue ordered Yuuta and Arai to cool down, but practice resumed as usual for everyone else.

Arai sat in one of the benches outside the courts, sipping a drink he bought from the nearby vending machine. He pretended not to notice when Kazue approached and also purchased a drink.

"You lost."

The boy scowled. Did she come here just to rub that in his face?

"You are naive to think that your bullet serve is enough to hold your service games," she said casually, as if she was talking about the weather.

He crushed the can in his hand. _I know that._

"You should go back to the basics. Tennis is not a slugfest. To win, you simply have to prevent your opponent from returning the ball. That's all there is to it."

"Senpai, why are you telling me this?"

"Skills can be taught. Attitude is another matter. Your desire to win and improve yourself is commendable, at the very least."

What… just happened? One moment she was telling him he basically sucked, and then all of a sudden she's complimenting him?

"Oh, before I forget, it would be pointless to continue the bullying after losing so lopsidedly. That would just make you a sore loser," she said, and then walked away.

How the hell did she know about that?

* * *

"Yuuta-kun."

The boy stopped wiping his head with a towel inside the clubroom. "Yes?"

"You don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Kazue said, and then tossed him the drink she bought earlier.

"Ah, thank you," Yuuta said as he caught the can with his left hand. "And I don't mind at all, it would be confusing if both Aniki and I were to be called Fuji, anyway," he added as casually as he could. He wouldn't forget how scary she was when Oishi tried to stop the match.

"Congratulations for winning."

"Ah, thanks..." he said tentatively. The girl's presence unnerved him. "So, do you need anything, senpai?"

"I need to discuss something with you."

* * *

Kousuke was whistling as they made their way home. He kept smiling at his daughter, who tried her best to ignore him.

When he pushed his luck one more time, she finally snapped. "If you want to say something, just say it, father."

He chuckled. "Good job on easing Yuuta-kun to the team. It's pretty hard for old members to accept that a newbie could take their spot."

"You were watching?" Kazue narrowed her eyes. She wouldn't forgive her father if he'd lied about the remedial classes and skipped practice.

"Yes. From the roof. I managed to escape from the students somehow," Kousuke said, scratching his head as he memories of the chase resurfaced in his consciousness.

"I don't even want to know how you did that."

* * *

That weekend, Fuji went for a photo walk. He had wanted to test the lens he'd bought recently, and it was only now that he had the time to spare.

He took pictures of anything that interested him – candid shots of little children playing hopscotch in the park, petals of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, the footsteps of the bustling crowd in the subway, the blurry edges of the speeding train.

On his way home, he had passed by the tennis center he frequented in his last year of middle school to create his new counters. He had decided to drop by and pass on a greeting to the owner.

"It's been a while, Hayashi-san."

"Ara, if it isn't Fuji-kun!" the man said with a smile. It was a stark contrast to the look of worry in his face when Fuji practiced with three machines at the same time.

"How many machines is it for today, huh? There isn't a lot of customers, so you can get as many as you want, boy genius," Hayashi winked at him.

"Thank you, but I'm taking the day off, Hayashi-san," Fuji politely declined. He was about to bid the man goodbye when he caught sight of girl with shoulder-length black hair hitting inside one of the cages.

It was Kazue.

He approached, raised the camera to his eye, and then started shooting. The girl had a fine form – she was light on her feet, and she swung the racket as if it was a part of her body. He found himself, however, drawn to her eyes instead – she treated every ball like a thirsty man treated every drop of water.

She suddenly lowered her racket and stopped hitting.

"It's rude to take people's pictures without their knowledge," Kazue said as she easily caught the ball with her left-hand.

"You knew," Fuji said as he watched Kazue push the gate open.

The girl stepped outside. "Whether I knew it or not is out of the question. The fact that you didn't ask for permission remains."

"If I had done that, don't you think that would defeat the purpose of photography to capture the images as they are?"

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, and that was all that Fuji needed.

_Click._

He caught her off guard.

"Quit stalking me."

_Quite a cruel word choice,_ he thought as he watched her put her racket in her tennis bag. She may have seemed cold to the team, but she actually _cared_. She did more than just stop Arai from messing with his brother.

"Thank you, Irukawa-san," he started, "for helping Yuuta." He did not feel the need to spell everything out.

Kazue ignored him, slung her tennis bag on her shoulder, and went on her way, but stopped short of stepping out of the entrance.

"There's nothing to be thankful for."

* * *

OMAKE:

"Arai."

"What?"

"Take them off."

Momoshiro choked. "Whoa, I didn't think Irukawa-senpai is the bold type!"

"Shut up, you pervert," Kaidou hissed at his eternal rival.

"Why don't you tell us the images that popped in your head when she said 'take them off', huh, viper?"

Kaidou turned red.

"Wanna fight, porcupine head?"

"Oh, sure. I'll be happy to help you hide your bleeding nose."

"You bastard..."

And the rest was history...

* * *

A/N: Sorry, I couldn't help it! I just had to write an omake. I'm just so happy Djokovic won today! Woohoo!


	6. Chapter 6: Comparison and Contrast

**A/N:** I'm baaaaaaack! Sorry for the long wait, to those who were following the fic. I hope you're still with me even though I haven't updated in four months. Usual story. The last term was hell and it ate me up alive. And then internship followed shortly. I didn't even get to have a summer break! But I managed to write this thanks to my muse, who refused to leave me until I finished writing this. Daaarn I'm in trouble with my boss, skipping lots of work ahaha. Oops. I rambled a bit. On with the story!

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Comparison and contrast**

"Heh... so Arai-senpai lost to Yuuta-senpai, huh?"

"Not just simply lost, he lost lopsidedly!" Horio said as-a-matter-of-factly to the bunch of freshmen who gathered around him. They were not able to watch the match, as they were on cleaning duty that day.

"As expected of Fuji-buchou's brother!"

Feeling important upon hearing the sounds of awe they made, Horio cleared his throat and continued.

"Of course. Yuuta-senpai didn't even break a single drop of sweat, and he didn't let Arai-senpai score a single point, either –

"Horio-kun." It was a warning. But Horio would not stop chattering animatedly, sometimes crossing his arms, sometimes gesturing with his hands, sometimes nodding to himself in between intervals.

"To think that he acted cocky and challenged Yuuta-senpai –

"Um... Horio-kun..."

"Actually, the exact same thing happened three years ago. He couldn't do a thing even though Echizen was actually using an old and broken wooden racket–

"Horio-kun!"

"What?" Horio spat, slightly annoyed that he was cut short while he was talking.

The freshmen were pointing something behind his back. Horio turned around, his eyes widening as he suddenly broke into cold sweat.

"Quite an accurate narration you have there, _freshman_."

"... Ah... um... hello there, Arai-senpai. How are you doing..?"

Arai grabbed him by the collar. "Why don't you continue the rest of the details for me, huh?"

All the blood suddenly left Horio's face in an instant. _Some...body... he...lp... me..._

"This is bad," Kachiro said a safe distance away, getting worried about the growing commotion.

"Should we go get the senp–

Katsuo didn't even get to finish as they heard a very familiar voice issuing a very familiar command.

"Everyone, thirty laps around the courts!"

All of them froze, and then scuttled away at once upon the sight of a furious Kaidou entering the gates, with their captain Fuji following closely behind.

Arai gave the other second year a look, and then released Horio. "Che," he muttered under his breath, and then began his laps.

"I'm... saved..." Horio collapsed on his knees in fright, but suddenly stood up straight again and ran as fast as he could when Kaidou caught his eyes and glared at him. He knew better than to wait until his former captain issued him a thousand laps.

At the front line, the remaining two-thirds of the freshman trio were whispering among themselves.

"Hey. Just now... it was Kaidou-fukubuchou who ordered us to run, wasn't he?" Kachiro said as he instinctively looked at the viper.

Katsuo also turned to the Kaidou. "Now that you mentioned it, it was actually him."

"Shouldn't it be Fuji-buchou?"

"Well, I couldn't imagine him shouting at us like that, but I don't even want to imagine what he'll have us do once he decides to punish us..."

"... Right."

They both shuddered as they remembered the billiards incident back in middle school. They would not definitely want to get on the bad side of the genius.

* * *

"Pssshhhh..."

Kaidou hissed in annoyance as he watched them all run away. This sort of thing always happened in middle school, giving him a lot of headaches from having to shout at them like that all the time. Momoshiro scolded them too, but the bastard left all the punishing to him, saying something about the duty of the captain...

_Shit._

He totally forgot that Fuji was their captain now and got carried away.

"I apologize, buchou," Kaidou suddenly bowed in front of the genius. "I shouldn't have done that. That was your–

Fuji chuckled and made a dismissing motion with his hand. "Don't worry about it, Kaidou. It suits you better than me anyway."

Kaidou looked up. "Eh? But–

"I'll be counting on you from now on, vice-captain," Fuji smiled as he tapped his shoulder.

"... Hai."

Kaidou didn't really care, but he couldn't help but compare Fuji to Tezuka now that he had become the captain. He held a greater respect for the stoic captain back in middle school – the genius was easygoing and didn't particularly have a goal, whereas the bespectacled boy was serious in carrying the team on his shoulders and leading them to the Nationals.

But in the end, he decided that it didn't matter. All they had to do was to win, and there was no doubt Fuji was the strongest player on the team.

* * *

"Ne, Oishi," Eiji suddenly said in the middle of his stretches, "don't they remind you of some people?"

The other boy kept pushing his back so he could reach his toes. "Who?"

"Those two. Kaidou and Fuji." The two stood at the sidelines, overseeing everyone's warm-up activities. The vice-captain had his arms folded around his chest, while the captain had his enigmatic smile on as usual.

Oishi sent them a glance and thought it over for a few moments. "Hmm. I don't have anyone particular. Who do you have in mind?"

Eiji paused in his stretches. "I can't quite put my finger to it but," he tapped his chin in deep thought, "hmmm... a pretty and always smiling captain... plus a scowling slave driver of a vice-captain..."

The acrobat suddenly basked in a eureka moment. "I got it! They look just like Yukimura and Sanada of Rikkaidai!"

Momoshiro suddenly butted in. "Senpai, did you just say Yukimura and Sanada?"

"Kaidou and Fuji look just like them, ne, Momo-chan?"

The second year considered the thought for a while, and then smirked. "You're right! Except that Fuji-senpai isn't as self-righteous as Yukimura-san, and viper isn't as violent as Sanada-san."

"My data also states that Fuji and Kaidou's dynamics would be very much similar to how Yukimura and Sanada carried their leadership roles," Inui said, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Don't scare us like that, Inui!"

Oishi could only sigh. "You shouldn't talk about other people like that, you know."

* * *

Kawamura listened to the familiar sounds of the tennis club as he made his way to the courts. A booming voice issuing commands here and there. The light footsteps and heavy pants of those who were running laps. The light chattering of those doing warm-ups. The sound of the racket cutting through the air. The bouncing of the ball to the ground, before crashing to the fence.

The power player bowed his head as he gradually slowed down his pace, before suddenly stopping short of entering the gates in hesitation. _Everyone must be working hard_, he thought, and for the first time since he came back, he doubted if it was okay for him to return just like that, getting himself a regular spot despite his rusty skills. It was unfair for everyone who had stayed on the team all these years, who kept trying their best in the hopes of one day wearing a regular jersey and representing the team in tournaments.

But he _wanted_ to play, wanted to see how far he could go beyond his power.

"Kawamura-senpai? Are you okay?"

"Ah, Yuuta-kun," Kawamura scratched his head out of habit. "I guess I'm a bit nervous. It's been a while since I've been here, and I'm not sure if I still belong..."

Yuuta smiled. He understood what it was like, to feel like an outsider in your own team. "Of course you do, senpai. I'm not even part of the team in the first place, but look at me now, suddenly barging in like this..." The younger boy scratched his nose shyly.

"... You're right."

"By the way, you left your racket in the clubroom earlier, senpai. Here you go," Yuuta handed him the yellow racket.

"Ah, sorry for the trouble..."

"It looks like it needs to be restrung though–

"_BURNING BABY! LET'S GET ON WITH PRACTICE!"_

Yuuta jumped out of his skin in surprise. _So this is the switch Aniki is talking about, huh..._

As he looked at Kawamura wildly swinging the racket, Yuuta wished he could also banish his insecurities like that in an instant. If he only had that ability, it wouldn't have taken him this long to finally decide to go back and play with his brother.

_One last year..._

The boy shook his head, and followed his senpai to the courts.

* * *

"Today's practice is doubles training!" Kousuke's tall form addressed the club, his hands casually placed on his hip. "As you all know, this tennis club is largely composed of singles players. But given the format of tournaments, we need to do something about our doubles line-up."

"There is a common misconception that doubles is inferior to singles. A lot of players like you choose to focus on the latter, maybe because you do not want to depend on another person, or maybe because you want to win on your own to prove your worth, rather than working with a partner to share you victory with."

Kikumaru glanced at Oishi and laughed sheepishly. The coach completely got his thinking when he was just starting tennis. But practically everyone else was thinking just the same, even now.

"However, doubles is more complicated compared to singles than it looks. Having a partner means your opponent has a partner too, and that means there will be two more people to read, two more people covering the court. Now, it isn't as easy as it seems, right?"

"Hai!"

"And so this is our mantra for today: _real men play doubles!_"

"Hai!"

_That sure takes me back_, Momoshiro thought, remembering his first official doubles match. It was a disaster, with his partner being a horrible doubles player, but in the end they won anyway. _I wonder what that idiot Echizen is doing right now..._

"Regulars, you're with Kazue-chan on court A. Everyone else, follow me to court D."

"Hai!"

* * *

Kazue crossed her arms as the eight regulars gathered around her. Yuuta and Kawamura didn't have their jerseys yet, so she made a mental note to get their sizes later.

"Like the coach said, doubles is our weakness. We don't have anyone else aside from Oishi and Kikumaru specializing in doubles, and I doubt anyone of you would want to play permanently with a partner, which means anyone of you could be assigned to play doubles anytime with various partners. For us to secure a win then, we have to ensure that everyone improves their doubles play. Understand?"

"Hai!"

Kazue unfolded her arms and put one of them on her hip. "Let's begin. Oishi, Kaidou. You will face Kikumaru and Momoshiro in a twelve-point match. You have three minutes to talk about your combination, and then we'll start."

"Hai!"

Inui suddenly whipped a pitcher of a green liquid out of nowhere. In the light, his glasses glinted before he made the dreaded announcement. "The losing pair will get to taste my newest creation, Inui vegetable juice version four point zero, with a special added ingredient."

"_WHAT?!_" Everyone suddenly paled, except for three people: Fuji, because he liked Inui's vegetable juice, and Yuuta and Kazue, because they didn't know its effects.

"What did you add this time, Inui?" Fuji asked with a mischievous smile on his face.

_Damn you Fuji! There was no need to ask that! We don't even want to know what he puts in there..._

Inui's glasses glinted twice. "Wasabi."

The regulars looked like they were about to pounce on him, this time, including Yuuta. Yuuta hated wasabi.

"Irukawa-chan! Save us, save us! Inui's going to kill us! Th-that's poison I tell you, poison!" Kikumaru pleaded, flailing his arms in the air in panic.

Kazue turned to Fuji. "Does Inui always do this?"

"Yes, even during middle school," the genius answered, wondering what's going through the girl's mind to ask that question.

"Then, I suppose I will allow it," Kazue finally said, her face as deadpan as ever, as if she wasn't aware of the fact that she just sent them to the depths of hell.

The atmosphere became eerily silent, and then suddenly, the aura of the four players changed. The two pairs glared at each other, their survival instincts kicking in. _We definitely could not lose! Die you bastards! Diiiiieeeee!_

"By the way, could I get a free taste, Inui?" The genius asked. The data man wordlessly gave him a glass, still wondering after all these years about Fuji's strange taste buds.

Kazue glanced at him as he drank it all in one gulp. "Ah, that was delicious!"

_So it doesn't work on him, huh..._

* * *

Oishi glanced at Kikumaru on the other side of the court. The acrobat was twirling his racket around his hand as he discussed strategies with Momoshiro, a habit that only came out when he was one hundred percent serious.

It must have been the Inui juice, Oishi thought.

It had been a while since he had last seen his partner in this condition, and he must say that he was also fired up at the opportunity to face Kikumaru with a different partner.

The acrobat especially had a strong combination with Momoshiro, but then again, he could adjust quickly to any partner like during that time in the Invitational Camp and Goodwill Games, with Hyoutei's Ootori Choutarou and Oshitari Yuushi.

This was going to be difficult.

"Senpai, our strategy..." Kaidou asked tentatively. He could also feel that they were the underdogs in the match.

"I'd like to observe them first, so let's just play it naturally in the first few points. But if we get an opening we won't hesitate to go after them, so just follow my lead," Oishi said with a reassuring smile, tapping his kouhai's shoulder.

"Hai!"

* * *

"Momoshiro to serve," Kazue announced from the umpire's seat. It made the players especially aware of her presence, which was uncomforting to say the least, after what had happened with Yuuta and Arai's match.

Momoshiro bounced the ball, taking his time, his expression a little different than usual. Kaidou knew exactly what was coming, and immediately searched for pebbles near his feet. But the moment he took his eyes off his rival, the other second year seized the opportunity and served the ball.

The viper couldn't react in time as the ball zipped past him.

_It can't be… he waited for me to take my eyes off him?_

Momoshiro pointed his racket at him and said his signature line: "_Don."_

"Che," Kaidou kicked the offending objects away and went to his position at the net. "Watch out for pebbles, senpai."

"Don't mind, Kaidou," Oishi said on his way to the baseline, preparing to serve. Because they were rivals, Kaidou was extremely aware of Momoshiro's instinctive tennis. But in that play just now, the other second year used that against him. He was being extra careful, but the other boy was one step ahead him.

This could be bad.

Momoshiro easily caught up to Oishi's serve, and then sent it straight to Kaidou on the net. The viper volleyed it back, but as soon as the ball left his racket, Kikumaru suddenly appeared in front of him and hit the ball to his backhand side.

It all happened so fast that the baseliner Kaidou could not catch up.

"They got him."

Yuuta glanced at his brother. "Aniki? But it's only two points into the game."

Fuji didn't say anything more, but his opened cerulean eyes spoke volumes for him.

* * *

A/N: Uh-oh. Kaidou's in trouble. Just what did Fuji decipher from the first two points? Stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to leave a review! I appreciate feedback.


	7. Chapter 7: Viper, sealed

**A/N:** Here's the seventh chapter! Things will be picking up starting from here. Who's excited about the tournaments? I am!

**Disclaimer:** Konomi Takeshi owns Prince of Tennis.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Viper, sealed**

As a child, Yuuta had always admired his brother's blue eyes. He would not miss an opportunity to see them, rare as they were, because such unguarded moments allow him to at least try to understand the enigma that was his brother. At an early age, Fuji had already learned to hide his emotions and thoughts beneath his carefully crafted smiling mask.

He knew the nuances of those eyes. It would take a particularly strong impetus to have the genius reveal them freely, and even then the intensity of the gaze varies into many layers. Still, the sight of blue meant that Fuji was as good as an open book with his feelings, and quite possibly, with his potential.

Generally, it would indicate seriousness – either Fuji himself had finally loosened his reigns and became serious, or he had witnessed something of serious gravity. And in the case of today's practice match, it was obviously the latter. In all probability, he had caught on to something that definitely could not be missed.

Yuuta turned his attention back to the court. Despite being familiar with the team for years, he did not know the extent of what each of them could do. He used to have eyes only for his brother, but as Echizen taught him the hard way, there were many interesting players in the world. He was no data man, but he wouldn't let this opportunity to observe his teammates go to waste.

* * *

Oishi paused to look at the other half of the Golden Pair from the other side of the court. The usually energetic acrobat was uncharacteristically aloof, taking deep measured breaths as he transferred his weight to either foot, preparing to receive the coming serve. Whenever he was in this condition, his next move was beyond anyone's guess, including his partner of five years.

Even Inui, their resident data man, would agree. Kikumaru was one of the most difficult players in the team to gather data on, second only to Fuji. There was no telling how he would hit the ball, especially with his acrobatics creating endless possibilities for him. But more importantly, the red-haired boy was a formidable thinking player with an excellent motion-sight, and this serious side to his quirky nature only increased his abilities tenfold.

Up against this Kikumaru, Oishi decided to stay cautious. He served the ball, aiming to the corner of the service box in an attempt to temporarily stop the other pair's assault. It was a difficult angle, allowing the ball to easily escape from the court, but the acrobat did not hesitate to go after it, catching up with his seal step.

"The formation's broken! Now's their chance!" Yuuta said from the sidelines. His three companions, however, remained silent.

The ball went straight to the Kaidou at the net. He took a volleying stance to send it to the emptied court, but all of a sudden, someone's presence loomed over him.

_Momoshiro? Where did he come from..?_

It was too late. The ball already left his racket, which the other boy readily sent back with a passing shot.

For a few moments, the court went still and nothing but the sound of the ball bouncing off the fence could be heard.

"That's... that's three points in a row," Yuuta said to break the silence. "Are they aiming for a short-lived match?" He glanced at his brother, hoping he would get an answer.

"Not necessarily," the genius said cryptically. "Rather, it is an inevitable outcome of their strategy."

"What do you mean, Fuji?" Kawamura asked. He too had been surprised that the match was getting one-sided. He honestly thought that it would be anyone's game, given how long the four of them knew each other. Or did Kikumaru and Momoshiro grow that much in his absence?

Inui answered for the genius. "It's like chess. Right, Fuji?"

"Aa," the boy replied, but his eyes did not leave the courts. _One person is making this happen..._

"Please explain, Inui-senpai."

The data man paused his writing and pushed his glasses. "What Momoshiro and Eiji have been doing is similar to the four moves strategy in chess. Their every move is calculated to lead to checkmate, catching the unsuspecting opponent off guard."

"Wouldn't that make them aiming for a quick match?" Yuuta asked. He couldn't quite follow where this was going.

"As Fuji said, not necessarily. Their real aim is to prevent the opponent from setting up their own attack, and it's working better than they expected."

From behind his thick glasses, Inui sent a worried glance to Kaidou, who took his position at the net.

* * *

Kikumaru held the ball to his chest and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Such rare ritual did not escape the watch of his teammates, but they were more concerned about his second year partner.

"What's with this formation..." Yuuta remarked as he glanced at Momoshiro, who stood in position behind the baseline. "Why isn't he going to the net?"

"A defensive formation..." Kawamura offered his opinion. "But why this, when they've been successful in their offense so far?" _Are they luring Oishi and Kaidou to attack?_

"Both Oishi and Kaidou are counterpunchers. If they're not forcing them to make their move, then there can only be one explanation to this formation," Inui said, the glint in his glasses hiding the direction of his glance, which was focused on a certain person.

Yuuta sighed. Inui was just as vague as aniki when it comes to explaining. He opened his mouth to ask for specifics, but his brother cut him off. "Watch."

After one last bounce of the ball, Kikumaru served and dashed for the net.

"Serve and volley..." _I see. Momoshiro-kun positioned himself at the baseline so Eiji-senpai can freely make his approach._

Oishi however read into this move well. He drew his racket back and prepared for the service return. He couldn't afford to mess up the timing. _How about this, Eiji?_

"As expected of Oishi. He aimed a ball to the feet to throw Eiji off balance."

Beside Inui, Yuuta held his chin in thought. _If I remember right, aniki made the same move against Akutagawa-san three years ago. But at this speed, can Eiji-senpai evade the ball?_

As if hearing his thoughts, Momoshiro smirked from the baseline. _Of course he can_.

Before the ball could reach him, Kikumaru's feet disappeared from the ground. Using the momentum from his sprint, he pulled himself into a back flip, the ball perfectly hitting the sweet spot of his racket half way through his landing. His lips curved upward when he heard the bounce, and a split second later he was back on his feet.

"Four-zero," Kazue declared from the umpire's seat. It did not show in her face, but the gears in her mind were already turning. _Such confidence... so this is what you're made of, huh, Kikumaru Eiji?_

Behind the fence, somebody was even more amazed at the red-haired boy. Yuuta had always known that Kikumaru's acrobatics was incredible, but the play just now exceeded his expectations. "I guess cats really do have nine lives. Eiji-senpai doesn't seem scared to do his stunts at all."

Fuji chuckled at his younger brother's analogy. "Eiji always plays with a complete trust of his partner." At the court, Kikumaru and Momoshiro exchanged a high-five. The genius' gaze, however, was focused on the rowdy second year.

A moment later, he turned to Oishi's and Kaidou's dejected form on the other side of the court, and then to their manager sitting quietly on the umpire's seat. _What is she planning to do?_

* * *

"I don't get it," Yuuta began, "if this is really like the four-move strategy, a single move from Oishi-senpai and Kaidou-kun could easily foil it. I mean, that's how it works in chess right?"

Without taking his eyes from his notebook, Inui answered him. "Perhaps, the better analogy would be _checkmate._"

"Like a trapped king, they can't move at all," Fuji said.

Yuuta scowled. _That doesn't really say anything._

Seeing his dissatisfied expression, Inui cleared his throat and began to explain.

"Notice that all of the attacks are directed towards Kaidou. I'm sure you already know, but Kaidou is a baseliner. At the net, up against Eiji's agility and Momoshiro's quick thinking, there isn't much that he can do. Kaidou isn't very well-known for his reflexes."

As if to prove his point, another ball zoomed past the viper.

"Can't Oishi do anything?" Kawamura asked.

"He's trying, but Eiji and Momoshiro have been doing great placing their shots. In such fast-paced rallies too," Inui said. "But I doubt he will take this sitting down."

* * *

Yuuta's eyes widened when the ball was returned for the seventh time. For the first time in the match, a longer rally ensued. And what's more, Oishi had been taking all the shots, intercepting them at the net.

"This is..." Kawamura began, a wave of nostalgia suddenly enveloping his being.

"Oishi territory," Inui finished for him and automatically lapsed into an explanation. "I guess he will stop the bleeding first with his impenetrable defense, and then make plays while defending the front court."

"This is probably the best formation for this pair. Not only they can eliminate Kaidou's weakness at net play, but they can also make better use of his snake shots when he's at the back," Inui continued.

A certain genius, however, only narrowed his eyes.

Momoshiro hit a cross-court to the left, where Kaidou had been waiting for his chance. He took the all-too-familiar stance – racket raised and arm bent – and put a tremendous spin on the ball. The viper finally revealed his fangs, and like a giant serpent, its flexible body curved as its jaws prepared to lock on its prey.

"Boomerang snake!"

The sound of hurried footsteps took everyone by surprise. Kikumaru, with his ninja-like speed, ran from the other end of the court, and then dived in time to reach the ball for a variation of his Kikumaru beam.

"_Ii_ data... who would've thought that Eiji would be Kaidou's greatest bane?"

* * *

Oishi immediately approached Kaidou and patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry, that was a miscalculation on my part. Let's get them on the next point."

Kazue gave the third year a penetrating glance. _This is your weakness, Oishi. For a renowned strategist, you made your move a little too late._

Kaidou could sense defeat, but they weren't about to go down without a fight. He served again, and the game broke into another rally. Oishi had been holding up well at the net, until afterimages of Kikumaru's form appeared on Momoshiro's both sides.

"This..."

Oishi fired the ball to one side after a moment of hesitation. The afterimages then merged into one, and Kikumaru hit the ball past the other boy.

"We're not done yet!"

With a grunt, Kaidou chased the ball. It landed to his right, but when he checked the other side's formation, the acrobat's afterimages also greeted him.

_Where should I hit it? Left? Right?_

He couldn't afford even a split second of indecision. He made up his mind and hit the ball. A snake.

Kikumaru's eyes focused on the ball as it made its magnificent curve, measuring its trajectory. But instead of running to the opposite direction, the acrobat threw his body forward.

Kaidou's eyes widened. _He read the spin!_

The ball suddenly curved sharply for a shorter version of the snake shot. Kikumaru, who had been waiting for it, returned it with a cross-court, but Kaidou's long reach allowed him to clip it for a lob.

Oishi could only watch as Momoshiro's body covered the afternoon sun, and then smashed the ball to the empty court with all of his might.

"Don."

"Winner of the first match: Kikumaru-Momoshiro pair."

* * *

"You guys surely pulled all the stops," Oishi said as the four of them went to the net to shake hands. "It's our complete loss."

Now that the match was over, Kikumaru was back to his usual cheery self and grinned at his partner. "It's only natural, nya. I'll do anything to save myself from Inui juice!"

All the blood suddenly escaped Oishi's and Kaidou's faces. _Shit! We totally forgot!_

As if on cue, Inui appeared before them with two cups of a dark green liquid in hand. And then, his glasses shone a dangerous glint. "Bon apetit."

With shaking hands, Oishi and Kaidou took the drink. They both swallowed hard and prayed for some sort of divine intervention to save their throats and stomachs, but when nothing came, they slowly lifted the glass to their mouths and saw their lives flash before their teary eyes.

Yuuta could only watch in horror as they finished everything in one gulp, dropping the cups as they did so. They stood frozen for a few seconds, and then suddenly ran like mad men to the fountains, the nerves in their eyes turning bright red while they muttered incoherent curses with their paralyzed tongues.

An hour later he and Inui joined them to the fountains, their bodies sprawled in the ground like slaughtered pigs. They lost 3-7 to Kawamura and Fuji, who didn't seem like they stopped playing together for years at all with their combination.

Inui looked like he would lose consciousness any minute, but he ran a few calculations despite his hazy mind.

_Irukawa-san put those two together so Kawamura would get into grips with playing in the team again. Really, she puts a lot of thought into this... But more importantly, I didn't think I put too much wasabi in the Inui juice..._

And then he passed out.

* * *

The sky was already bright orange when Kousuke and Kazue began their way home. The man was whistling a merry tune as they passed a busy street in a shopping district, but despite all the items on sale at the center of the females' attention, he was getting a lot of awestruck stares as usual.

That was when Kazue suddenly remembered something.

"Earlier during practice, where did your fan girls go?" The girl threw her father an inquisitive glance.

"Well, I knew you'll eventually snap if they keep disrupting practice, so I took care of them," Kousuke made a smiling expression that greatly reminded her of Fuji's.

Kazue quickly removed the image from her mind and shot him a more probing look.

"Fine, fine. I told them I'm going to take a picture with the team who wins our class tournament, so they were at the gym practicing real hard."

Kazue allowed herself a small smile despite herself. _Smooth, father._

"So, how's that person? Did you find a replacement?"

In an instant, Kazue turned business-like. "I need to observe him for another while, but I think he has to sit out the initial tournaments. I did find someone who can take his place. I believe he'll do quite well."

"I'll leave him to you, then."

Behind a certain bush, a disappointed Inui scribbled what he just heard in his green notebook.

_Not a hint at all of who they're talking about... as expected from Irukawa-san. Gathering data would be harder than I thought._

* * *

A/N: Inui started his usual stalking. Just who is Kazue and Kousuke referring to? Stay tuned for the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review. I appreciate feedback!


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